


The Devil's Proposal

by dont_frown



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angels, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Chapter Count Isnt Definite, Dark, Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, Everyone's In Love With MC, F/M, Forced Marriage, Light Romance, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, Plot, Reader-Insert, Reverse Harem, Romance, Royalty, She/Her Pronouns for Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Slow Burn, The Demon King is Awake, Will add more tags as I go, contains season 2 spoilers, follows season 2, plot heavy, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29968590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_frown/pseuds/dont_frown
Summary: You're dragged back to the Devildom to find that the Demon King has awoken due to the calamities caused by your power, and that he is not happy to have been woken. You're forced to pay for this by marrying into the Devildom, eternally tying your fate, loyalty, and power to the Demon King and Prince. You must decide whether to make the best of this pre-determined fate, or fight for your future.
Relationships: Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Barbatos (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Beelzebub (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Diavolo (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Simeon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	1. Return to The Devildom

“Hmmm Hm Hmm,” you hummed as you walked along, on your way back to your home. You’d had a productive day of grocery shopping, and were ready to make your way home to cook yourself a meal. 

You were a bit unused to eating alone still, as it’d only been a few months since Diavolo had made you return to the human world, but you tried to make the best of it by cooking good food for yourself.

As you neared your house, though, you were quite shocked to see a familiar figure, who you certainly weren’t expecting.

“Diavolo?” you questioned, not fully believing he was actually there.

“I’ve come to retrieve you,” he responded in a serious tone. You thought he seemed unlike himself, with an oddly grave expression on his face, but you were more concerned with his words than his countenance.

“What? Retrieve me?” you were utterly confused.

“Yes. We’re returning to the Devildom,” he said as he immediately began the teleportation spell, not bothering to wait for a response. You were genuinely shocked as you closed your eyes for one second, and reopened them to see the Devildom’s Student Council room. Being teleported without your consent was almost as shocking as when you were sent to the Devildom the first time. He even forgot to teleport your groceries along with you.

You felt a bit better as you scanned the room and noticed all seven brothers and Barbatos were present as well. You almost let yourself get excited to see them when you noticed the grim tone in the room.

“Um… What’s-” you started as Diavolo cut you off.

“Sit down,” he said, seeming significantly more harsh than you could have ever expected from him.

“Did I do something wrong?” you asked as you sat next to Lucifer. You were utterly at a loss as to what was happening. Lucifer gave you what seemed to be a reaffirming pat on the shoulder, but it didn’t help the growing feeling of anxiety building up in you.

“Yes, actually. Just not something new,” Diavolo stated as he took a seat across from you.

“What does that mean?” you wished someone would just explain what was happening already.

“Remember how your powers caused massive calamities before you were presented with the Ring of Light?” he asked.

“Yes…” you didn’t understand why this was coming back up after it had already been resolved.

“Well, due to the massive scale of your calamities, you happened to wake my father from his slumber,” he explained.

“Your father?” you barely remembered his father ever being mentioned.

“Yes. My father, the Demon King, is now awake,” Diavolo told you.

“Oh…” you said, not sure what exactly that had to do with you being brought back to the Devildom.

“He is not happy that he was awoken,” Diavolo continued. The anxiety in your gut began to grow. You didn’t know what kind of guy the Demon King was, but for him to be angry with you was certainly not a good thing.

“He believes you owe a debt to the Devildom for the damages your calamities have caused,” you were perplexed by this. You certainly didn’t expect to have to give reparations for the damages. You looked around at the brothers’ faces for any sort of explanation, but their expressions all mirrored your own confusion.

“He wants money from me?” you questioned, knowing you certainly didn’t have enough Grimm to pay for that sort of thing.

“No. He wants your loyalty to the Devildom,” he explained.

“What?” a million questions raced through your head, but that was all you managed to get out.

“He has taken your calamities to be a sign of your immense power. He wants your loyalty to the Devildom in the case of another war,” Diavolo answered.

“So, I have to live here or something?” you asked, not sure what loyalty would exactly entail. You skirted around the comment about war, trying to pretend you didn’t hear it.

“More than that. My father believes the best way to make you eternally connected with the Devildom is through marriage. You simply have to marry a high-ranking demon. That’s all.” Diavolo continued. You wanted to say something to this, but Mammon spoke up before you even got the opportunity.

“What are you talking about!? Just tell him to forget about it! She didn’t do nothin’ wrong!” he stood up for you instantly, you looked at him gratefully and he tried his best to give you a soft smile when his eyes met yours, but you could tell he was anxious.

“Whether it was intentional or not, she caused massive damages to the Devildom. My father simply wants repayment,” Diavolo didn’t waiver. 

“And you agree with him? That she should be forced into marriage with a demon!?” Mammon pressed harder. Diavolo hesitated, and you knew he didn’t fully agree with what he was telling you, but he remained steadfast in his words.

“Yes,” he monotonously replied.

“We have money. We will simply pay you the cost of the repairs,” Lucifer chimed in. You were grateful he would suggest this, but you really weren’t even aware of the extent of the damage you caused. You weren’t truly confident Lucifer actually had the money for such a thing.

“No. That is not an acceptable resolution to my father,” Diavolo shut Lucifer down instantly. You began to feel panicked.

“Who exactly would I have to marry?” you asked, scared to hear the answer.

“My father initially ordered that you would marry me. However, I persuaded him into giving you a choice. Any high-ranking demon will do. Even Lucifer or one of his brothers would be good enough,” he explained. You felt sick. As much as you loved the brothers, and even Diavolo himself, being forced into a marriage would never result in a healthy relationship. You were young, too. You didn’t feel ready for such a commitment, especially not when it was being forced on you.

“What happens if I refuse?” you asked, knowing it probably wasn’t an option.

“Either your power is eternally linked to the Devildom, or it does not exist at all,” he said. You knew that meant your demise.

“Why would you go along with this?” you could tell Lucifer was angry as he spoke. You could practically feel the malicious intent seeping out of him.

“I am not the ruler of the Devildom while my father is awake. I’m simply doing as he commands,” Diavolo answered. You knew he didn’t have a choice, but it hurt that he wasn’t fighting for you. 

“We can work together to change his mind. This is a ridiculous idea. We’re supposed to be making peace with humans, not kidnapping them,” Lucifer argued logically. You weren’t sure how. Your mind was mush, but somehow he kept it together. Another glance at the other brothers told you they felt similarly to you, their faces a contorted mix of anger and confusion.

“No. It is settled. She has a month to decide her partner and that is that,” Diavolo stated as he stood up, ending the discussion. 

Satan immediately stood up as well, and grabbed Diavolo by the collar. You could tell he was nearly ready to fight Diavolo to the death.

“Satan, please,” you called his name gently. You knew he was furious, but you didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of this. You also knew that it wasn’t entirely Diavolo’s fault. He looked at you, and you could tell that it pained him to let go of Diavolo, but he did. 

Diavolo gave Satan a blank look and walked off, making it seem as though the ordeal didn’t affect him what-so-ever. 

Diavolo left the room without another word, Barbatos in tow. The room felt heavy, even with them gone, and you couldn’t bring yourself to meet any of the brothers’ eyes.

“Are you okay to come back to the House of Lamentation?” Lucifer asked. You felt his eyes on you. You could tell he felt anxious, like you might say no. 

“Yeah…” you responded, giving him a small glance. You didn’t want him to think you were angry with him, but you couldn’t bear trying to front any confidence.

You all walked to the House of Lamentation without speaking a word. You could tell the brothers were angry. 

When you arrived, you refused dinner and simply returned to what had been your bedroom the last two times you stayed at the Devildom, telling the brothers you needed time to think. Your room was exactly as you had left it, if a bit tidied up.

You laid on the bed, and felt your eyes draw shut. You knew your dreams would be plagued, but couldn’t help wanting to fade out into a deep sleep. You tried to shove the thoughts out of your mind, and let yourself rest.


	2. Loyal Declarations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You talk through your situation with the brothers, and come to find them more enthusiastic to marry you than you would have ever thought. Despite this, different sources of unease continue to pop up.

You awoke to an empty room, which you found slightly shocking. The brothers were always coming into your bedroom without your permission, but you weren’t too surprised considering the circumstances. They were probably being considerate. 

You felt exhausted, and just wanted to go back to bed, but you figured you might as well get up and face the brothers already. 

You looked through your clothes, and luckily found a few every-day outfits Asmo had picked out for you last time you were there. It would’ve felt incredibly strange to wear your R.A.D. outfit. 

You made your way to the dining room to find all seven brothers sitting around, not seeming to be doing much of anything. They all had food in front of them, but also all had clean silverware. They weren’t talking either.

“Good morning,” you spoke, trying to act as close to normal as possible.

“Hey! We made breakfast for you!” Mammon immediately perked up. He sounded anxious, but was clearly trying to hide it.

“Thanks, it smells good,” you replied earnestly, trying to reassure him. Despite the circumstances, you were glad to be with the brothers again. Waking up to a nice breakfast and their company brought you genuine joy.

You took a seat and looked down to a plate of heart-shaped waffles. You couldn’t help but smile at the meal.

“I couldn’t resist buying the heart-shaped waffle maker when I saw it- it reminded me of you,” Asmodeus said. He must’ve noticed you liked them.

“They’re adorable. Thank you, Asmo,” you replied, smiling at him.

“They’re cute to you, but Asmo insisted on using the heart-shaped waffle maker for the rest of us as well. The last thing I want is heart-shaped anything from any of my brothers,” Satan replied. You laughed. 

You wished you could continue just joking around with the brothers and ignoring the bigger issue, but you knew it would have to be addressed sooner or later. Because the brothers were squirming in their chairs, and you could tell it was bothering all of them, you chose to do it sooner.

“So, about this marriage thing…” you started, hoping one of the brothers would suggest a solution or give some insight.

“Are you sure that’s what you wish to discuss first thing in the morning? You have a while to decide,” you could tell Lucifer was trying to protect you.

“I just want this sorted out. Is there really no way out of this?” you questioned.

“I don’t know much about the Demon King. We only met him once, when we first fell from the Celestial Realm, so I don’t know how easy he is to persuade. From what I can tell, though he won’t be budging on this. I’m sorry,” Lucifer spelled out your fate clearly.

“From what you can tell?” you wanted to learn everything you could about the Demon King, so you prodded for more.

“Despite seeming cold, I know that Diavolo has spent the last few days bargaining with his father to allow you to choose your suitor, rather than be made to marry him specifically. But even that matter took a long time to be resolved. I don’t think we’ll get much more leeway,” he explained.

“So, he got out of his responsibility, but I didn’t get out of mine? How charming,” you couldn’t help the snide comment.

“It wasn’t for his own sake. He did it for you. But either way, he’s still in the wrong. I don’t blame you for being angry,” Lucifer explained.

“You don’t even need to say that. Obviously he’s in the wrong,” Belphegor chimed in, annoyance clear in his voice.

“It’s okay, Belphie. I know Lucifer and Diavolo are good friends. I don’t blame him for feeling defensive,” you responded. You knew it must be hard for Lucifer, especially since your situation was a repeat of what happened to him when he was made to pledge loyalty to Diavolo.

“I bet you regret ever coming to the Devildom now,” Leviathan finally spoke the thoughts you worried the brothers all faced.

“That’s not true,” you immediately refuted him. 

“You still like us, right?” Beelzebub’s puppy eyes met yours as he presented a follow-up question.

“Of course I do! This isn’t anyone’s fault but the Demon King’s. I love you guys. You’re like family to me. Nothing could ever change that,” you tried your best to convince them, but you knew everyone would be feeling uneasy for a while, including yourself.

Asmo stood up from across the table and walked over to you, throwing his arms around your shoulders. It made for an awkward hug, considering you were still in your chair, but you hugged him back despite this. 

“Hey! Why do you get to hug her!?” you heard Mammon scream from a few seats down, but you ignored his comment.

Asmo pulled away after a while, enough so that you could see his teary-eyed face.

“You don’t deserve this! You’re so beautiful and kind. You deserve to be with thousands of demons! Not be forced to marry one,” Asmo cried out. Despite being a bit misguided, you appreciated his sentiment.

“Thank you, Asmo. I’ll figure this out. Don’t worry,” you did your best to reassure him, while simultaneously using your own words to reassure yourself. You weren’t sure they worked on either of you.

“Diavolo has informed me that he will be stopping by to check in a handful of times, but that you will have a full month to make this decision, so we can all figure it out together throughout the next few weeks,” Lucifer commented. A month usually felt like a long time, but to make such a decision, it probably wasn’t enough.

“Together? Isn’t this her decision?” Mammon questioned Lucifer’s word choice.

“Of course, but I’m sure she’d like to discuss it with whomever she chooses before she tells Diavolo,” Lucifer answered.

“Well, I’m tellin’ you now! With me, there doesn’t need to be no discussion! I’m the best option for you. I’ll protect you and make you happy, so you should choose me!” Mammon proclaimed. You weren’t quite shocked that he was willing to marry you, but you were shocked by how much he seemed to want to.

“That’s such bullshit and you know it, Mammon. Any one of us would be better suited for her than you, especially me~” Asmo snarkily replied while also making it clear that he was willing to marry you. 

“No, pick me!” 

“No, me!”

“I’m the best option!”

The brothers all began to speak at once, talking over each other. You had expected that each of them would graciously agree to marry you if you asked, but you hadn’t expected them to actually want to do it. The only one who didn’t seem eager was Lucifer, who hadn't said a word.

“Stop,” you said, not bothering to use your pact powers. You knew they’d listen to you even without using them. 

They quieted down, looking at you expectantly.

“You guys are actually willing to marry me?” you couldn’t help asking. They had just made it obvious, but you still couldn’t quite believe it was something they genuinely wanted as opposed to something they felt forced into.

“Yes,” a jumble of replies all saying the same word came from each of the brothers. This time Lucifer was included.

“Okay… If any of you change your mind, though, that’s okay,” you tried to reassure them that they did not have to bear the same burden you did.

“My mind won’t change, and I’m sure theirs won’t either,” Belphie said. The comment made you feel a bit better. You gave him a smile before redirecting the conversation again.

“Is marriage even the same in the Devildom as it is in the human world?” you asked.

“From what I know, they’re quite similar. However, humans’ marriage tends to be less permanent than demons’ marriage,” Satan explained.

“Really? Most humans are married for life,” you questioned what he meant.

“Humans can marry as many times as they want. Marriage in the Devildom involves intertwining the souls of the two participants. You can’t do that more than once,” Satan continued. You somehow began to feel even more anxious.

“So, once you’re married, you’re stuck with that person forever…” you understood what Satan meant by it being more permanent. Despite being the one who asked, you regretted learning the answer. It only put more pressure on you. You changed the subject to something lighter.

“Is Solomon coming? I’d like to have him around,” you asked, missing the presence of your magic teacher. The two of you had spent a lot of time together after you were sent back to the human world, so it was weird to return without him. 

“He’s not coming,” Lucifer answered instantly.

“What? Why? Is he alright?” you asked, confused. You knew Solomon would show up if he knew what was happening. Despite having questionable intentions from time to time, he always had your back.

“He has been banned from the Devildom.” Your stomach plummeted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys left so many sweet comments on the last chapter! Thank you all so much for reading! I really appreciate the feedback!!
> 
> Between the time of writing the first chapter and this one, I've near fully planned the entire story, so I think I should be able to write it without a hitch! Who knows if my feelings on what should happen in the story might change though... lol
> 
> The next chapter should be coming soon! :)


	3. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You want to be alone with your thoughts, but instead you find someone who floods them with preposterous ideas.

“What!?” you nearly yelled as Lucifer told you what you absolutely did not need to hear.

“He has been temporarily banned from entering the Devildom. If he comes, Diavolo will forcibly return him to the human world,” Lucifer answered your questions, but you could tell that he didn’t agree with what he was saying.

“Why!?” you were going through so much, and yet you couldn’t even have the one person who could possibly console you around.

“The Demon King believes Solomon could be a hindrance to the plans. I don’t particularly blame him. He can be quite troublesome to deal with,” Lucifer continued.

“That’s ridiculous!” Asmo even chimed in, “Solomon helped Diavolo when the calamities were happening. How could he just forget that?”

“Diavolo is no longer in charge. It doesn’t matter what he does or does not remember,” Lucifer reminded. 

“I don’t feel hungry anymore…” Beel chimed in sadly. You couldn’t help but agree.

“I think I’m going to go walk around a bit… I’ll be back later…” you said, as you stood up to abandon your partially eaten waffles. 

“Are you sure it’s alright to go on your own?” Belphie questioned. 

“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you if something happens,” you responded. Usually they wouldn’t let you leave on your own, but they seemed to know better than to push your boundaries at the moment.

You didn’t look back as you walked toward the front door, exiting into the darkness outside. You knew it was late-afternoon by now. A time that, in the human world, wouldn’t warrant pitch-black skies. Nevertheless, in the Devildom, the Sun never shined, and you knew it never would.

It was a bit chilly, and you hadn’t brought a jacket, but you wouldn’t go back to retrieve one. Your feelings were too complicated to even look at the brothers. You continued walking towards nowhere in particular as your mind spiralled.

Despite the feeling of relief that came with knowing that, whichever brother you came to choose would be happy to marry you, you also felt that their declarations were a cementation of your fate. They had all clearly accepted what was going to happen to you, even though you had not.

You knew your fate could have been worse- the Demon King could have sentenced you to death, or worse. Instead, all you had to do was marry one of your favorite people in all three realms. However, even when viewing the situation from such a light, you couldn’t help the uncomfortable feeling that wouldn’t seem to fade out.

Despite always being a dangerous place, the brothers had always made the Devildom feel safe for you. After making the pacts especially, you felt as though you had power in the Devildom. Small power, but power all the same. You never felt untouchable, but you never felt in danger either.

The Demon King’s awakening ripped that small feeling of safety away entirely.

You felt weak and helpless, like you never truly belonged in the Devildom in the first place, and it felt wretched.

* * *

You had eventually found a bench to sit on in a seemingly obscure location near town. You weren’t sure why it was there or who it belonged to, but you didn’t particularly care. You sat anyway.

You let yourself think and think until your brain stopped working. At that point, you let yourself stare into space until you couldn’t bear the cold any longer. 

You knew it had probably gotten late. You couldn’t check. You forgot your D.D.D. 

You figured you might as well head back. No decisions had to be made immediately, so you had no reason to hide away from the brothers. 

As you stood to go, though, you felt a cold hand clench your wrist. 

Panic struck you instantly and you began twisting to pull away, mentally preparing to have to summon one of the brothers. You hadn’t heard or seen anyone coming, so you the person was trying to hide their presence for one reason or another.

When you looked up to see who had grabbed you, though, your eyes found familiar, but desperate looking ones looking back.

“Solomon?” you asked, not sure if you were seeing correctly.

“Thank god I found you,” he answered. You could tell he was panting. 

You couldn't help but pull him in for a quick hug. Having your fellow human around was always comforting, and was even more so now. You felt tears well up in your eyes as you felt his hands awkwardly try to hug you back. You held them in as best you could. 

“How are you here?” you asked as you pulled away, “Is it safe?”

“No. The Demon King can’t know I’m here, but I had to come,” he replied, talking quietly. He was standing closer to you than normal; you figured you had to stay quiet so as to not draw attention to your conversation. You had only seen two or three demons walk by the area during the multiple hours that you had sat around, but you didn’t bother pointing that out to Solomon.

“Why? This isn’t your problem. You should stay out of danger,” you spoke more confidently than you felt. You straightened your shoulders to drive home the point that you were alright.

“It’s my fault the calamities got as bad as they did. I didn’t know how to stop them. If I had figured it out sooner, this wouldn’t have happened,” he explained. He averted his eyes as he spoke.

“Don’t say that. No one knew what was happening. You worked so hard to help me then. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine for being careless,” you were shocked he seemed to be feeling so much guilt. You hadn’t even thought for a second that it was his fault. All he had ever done was clean up after your messes.

“Your fault? You didn’t even want to come to the Devildom in the first place. You never agreed to any of this. I don’t understand how Diavolo could allow the Demon King to do this to you,” Solomon seemed angry. You were a bit shocked. You’d rarely seen him show such emotion.

“It’s fine. I’ll get used to it. Lucifer and his brothers said they’ll work it out with me,” you tried to downplay your feelings.

“You don’t have to get used to it,” he spoke confidently, but you could hear the desperation in his voice.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“The two of us together have great power. We can use it to hide away long enough for the Demon King to die,” he explained. Your head was already a mess, and the suggestion didn’t make it any clearer.

“So, you’re suggesting we live in exile and isolation for what could potentially be centuries?” you asked for a clarification in a way that would make it clear how ridiculous his proposal was. You wouldn’t even live that long unless you chose to extend your lifespan the same way Solomon had.

“Not isolation. We’d have each other,” he sounded ridiculous.

“Solomon. This is my burden to bear, not yours. I can’t make you do that for me,” you were surprised to hear him say he would suffer so much for you. You could never quite make out the sorcerer’s intentions, so it was a nice clarification to know that he would go so far to protect you, despite the circumstance.

He sighed, hesitated a moment, then spoke, “I can’t force you to go into exile with me, but I want you to know that is a burden I would not hesitate to bear. I can’t promise I’ll be easy to find, as I have to stay in hiding, but know that if you change your mind, my offer will still stand.”

You knew that, to a man that had lived hundreds, if not thousands of years, this offer of time might not have held the same weight that it did to you. However, you did not take Solomon’s proposition lightly. 

“Thank you, Solomon,” you’d never meant the words more in your life.


	4. Nothing is Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life in the Devildom keeps changing, but your relationships with the brothers always feel safe.

By the time you returned to the House of Lamentation, you knew the brothers were likely worried about you. In the time you’d spent with Solomon, you knew it had gotten quite late. Especially because the brothers thought you were alone the whole time, they’d likely begun to spiral.

As you were about to open the door to go inside, you took one last look behind you. Solomon was still standing outside the House of Lamentation’s outer gate, watching to make sure you got in safely. You gave him one last smile, then entered the building.

You were a bit worried how the brothers would react to your return home, but you hoped they wouldn’t badger you for being out late.

You’d never particularly understood them being protective over you going out at night. In the human world, it was frightening to go out at night because it would get dark. However, in the Devildom, it was always dark, so it felt exactly the same no matter what time of day you were out. 

You’d usually done your best to be in early, though, so as to not worry anyone. However, in this case you were more concerned with your own mental state than the brothers’, so they were hardly your priority. 

You shut the door behind you, then stood for a moment, waiting for someone to approach you. No one came.

It gave you an odd feeling. You were almost worried that something had happened.

You didn’t bother taking off your shoes. You walked, not fast enough to seem odd, but faster than usual, toward the living room.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting to see, but it certainly wasn’t all seven brothers sitting in the same room, all looking quite frazzled.

“What are you guys doing?” you asked. It seemed like they had been talking about something. You figured it probably had to do with you or Diavolo.

“Nothin’! Don’t worry about it!” Mammon was flustered. Their conversation had been about you.

“They’ve been arguing over who would be best suited for you since you left,” Lucifer immediately ratted them out. It didn’t shock you. They all looked tired out, like they had been arguing all night.

“So, what’s the consensus?” you asked, not because it mattered to you, but because you found the fact that they had even discussed the matter in the first place quite amusing.

“Me! Obviously,” Mammon shouted.

“Pfft. Yeah right,” Asmo instantly countered. Clearly they hadn’t come to any sort of agreement on the topic. You rolled your eyes.

“Sorry I was out so late. You guys didn’t have to wait up for me,” you commented, flat-out ignoring the previous conversation.

“You didn’t come across any trouble, did you? You were out for quite some time,” Lucifer asked. You figured he meant lower level demons, or even perhaps Diavolo himself, but you couldn’t help but have Solomon come to mind.

You knew that seeing Solomon, who was banned from the Devildom, likely constituted trouble, but you knew you couldn’t tell Lucifer. You trusted him, but simultaneously knew that Diavolo had a hold over him. You wouldn’t risk telling anyone if you didn’t have to.

“Nope,” you weren’t good at lying, but knew you had to start practicing sometime.

* * *

The next morning, you woke early. You felt like you’d had an unpleasant dream, but you couldn’t remember it, and didn’t dare try. Real life was already unpleasant enough.

You slid out of bed, feeling groggy, but not in the mood to sleep any longer. You knew it was a school day, so you figured you could see the brothers off. 

There was no way you could stomach going back to R.A.D. yourself, and with the exchange program technically over, there was no real reason or obligation for you to do so. So, instead of actually getting dressed, you slipped out of a dirty set of pajamas, and into a clean set of pajamas.

As you walked the House of Lamentation’s halls, you found them to be strangely dark. Asmo usually made a habit of turning on as many lights as possible in the morning, stating that it helped liven the mood of the place, so you found it quite odd. Still, you attempted to make your way to the dining room, expecting everyone to be seated for breakfast. It took a bit longer than usual, with you needing to fondle the walls to find each discrete lightswitch, but eventually you made it. 

Despite your troublesome venture to get there, you found the dining hall entirely vacant. You wondered if everyone had left early, or if it was some sort of holiday.

It gave you an ominous feeling, so you began looking around, peering into each room in hopes of finding one of the brothers. Eventually, you saw a light coming from the library.

“Satan?” you asked as you peered inside, finding him reading a book.

“How come you’re up so early?” he asked, looking a bit shocked to see you.

“I wanted to see you guys off for R.A.D… Where is everyone else?” you were quite perplexed. Satan looked surprised by your question, and set his book down before responding.

“Oh… Nobody told you? The Demon King apparently wants to reexamine Diavolo’s curriculum. R.A.D. has been called off until further notice,” his explanation was the last thing you had expected to hear. You felt awkward standing in the doorway, so you moved to sit on the couch next to him.

“What? But Diavolo worked so hard on the creation of R.A.D. What could possibly be wrong with his curriculum?” you were genuinely shocked the Demon King would assert himself into such affairs. You’d always believed he’d been in his thousand year-long slumber because he didn’t care about the Devildom, so you couldn’t understand why he was being so forceful all of a sudden.

“I couldn’t say, but I’m sure that the Demon King certainly has different ideas about what’s important for the Devildom than Diavolo does,” he commented. You weren’t sure exactly what that meant, but didn’t particularly think you wanted to know either. 

You couldn’t help but feel a bit downcast at the news. You’d made tons of great memories at R.A.D. It was strange to think it would be altered in some way, or perhaps never brought back. You didn’t want to think about him, but you instantly began to wonder how Diavolo took the news. He cared a great deal about his education initiatives, so he probably took it quite hard when his father stepped in.

“Why are you up so early, then?” you asked Satan. None of the boys had ever been particularly early-risers, and all seemed to sleep in when they got the opportunity.

“I’ve had quite a hard time sleeping since the Demon King woke. I’m sure you feel similarly, or perhaps even worse,” he explained. You were glad to know you weren’t the only one feeling the weight of the changes.

“Yeah, I get it. You should try to get some rest, though,” you said, side-eyeing the massive book that Satan had already read a significant chunk of. You figured he’d been up for quite some time.

“I will. Especially since I don’t have to factor R.A.D. into my schedule for the time being,” he answered. 

“What are you going to do with all the time you have now?” you asked. You couldn’t fathom that he would read all day every day.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Usually on short breaks from R.A.D. I spend as much time as possible cramming in reads, but since nobody knows how long this break could last, I probably need to think of a few other ideas,” he answered. His response just showed how unsure everyone was of what would happen in the coming months.

“What are you going to do today?” you asked. You’d thought you’d be spending the day alone, but now that you knew everyone else would be home as well, you figured you might face a change of plans.

“I was just going to read, but if you’d like to spend time together, I’d certainly be happy to do something else,” he commented. You were glad he suggested it first. You wanted to spend some time with him after being away, but didn’t want to disturb him if he had other plans.

“I’d like that! What do you wanna do?” you asked, not having many ideas.

“I bought the DVD of the movie adaptation of that one book series you like- the one you were reading right before you had to return to the human world. Have you seen it yet?” he mentioned. You were surprised he remembered your liking towards the series let alone went and bought the DVD for you, especially because it was a book series written by a human and you’d only mentioned it in passing to Satan when he’d asked you what you were reading once.

“I haven’t! I’d love to watch it!” you were genuinely excited. You were surprised he’d already gotten the DVD. Sometimes human-world things made their way to the Devildom quickly, but usually it took quite a while. You thought perhaps he’d requested specifically for someone to bring it back for him. The thought made you happy.

Satan seemed happy with your response, so the two of you moved to your bedroom, which had a larger television than the one in Satan’s room.

“You know, I sat in here and read a few times while you were away,” he commented after settling on your bed as you tried to insert the DVD into the player.

“Really?” you asked, though his words didn’t shock you. You’d found a handful of clues that suggested the brothers had been in your room since you left. Some seemed intentional- little gifts they had bought you while you were away, but some were unintentional signs that the brothers had been spending time in your room- things like candy wrappers, phone chargers, and wrinkled bed sheets.

“The house was so quiet once you left. Of course antics ensued from time to time, but it was incredibly obvious how much everyone felt the weight of your absence. Usually, I pretend to appreciate the quiet, but the truth is that sometimes silence is too quiet. Even without you here, though, your room was full of energy and adventure. It felt so much more alive than the rest of the House of Lamentation. I never felt that weighted silence in here,” Satan explained as the DVD player sucked up the small disc.

“Well,” you said as you joined him on the bed and took his hand into yours, “You’re always welcome in here, and I hope it always feels alive to you- no matter what.”

Your words seemed to fluster him a bit, as he simply sputtered, “Thanks.” 

“Do you need anything before the movie starts?” he quickly changed the topic, though he didn’t let go of your hand.

“Nope! I’m good,” you answered. You were usually the type of person to devour popcorn during a movie, but you didn’t feel up to eating any, especially since you hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

“Okay, I’ll start it then,” he said. He was closer to the side table which housed the remote.

The next two hours were full of dramatic romance and political intrigue on-screen, and sweaty, persistent hand-holding and Satan’s occasional commentary off-screen. You eventually got fed up of leaning your head against your bedpost and rested it on Satan’s shoulder instead. 

By the time the movie was over, you were so comfortable, you hardly wanted to move. 

“That was pretty good. I can understand why you liked the books,” Satan commented. You felt him squirm a bit, and figured that was your cue to stop leaning on him, but you didn’t care.

“Mmh,” you mumbled an agreement, but didn’t budge.

“You sure seem comfortable. Are you even fully awake?” Satan asked, laughing a bit.

“Can we just stay like this all day?” you joked, mostly ignoring his question, and hoping he would at least stay still a little longer.

“I wish we could stay like this for the rest of eternity,” he shocked you with his reply.

“Me too,” you replied without thinking much about what you were actually saying.

“I’m serious,” he continued, “We work so well together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh,” you instantly felt regret for your previous frivolous reply as you picked your head up to meet his eyes. Satan’s feelings were obviously much more sincere than you had thought. 

“I know this whole situation is unfair, and I wish this was under different circumstances, but I can’t imagine ever tying my soul to anyone’s but yours. I’ve always wanted this,” he said, making eye-contact the whole time.

You felt quite guilty, considering you hadn’t actually given who you’d choose as your suitor much thought yet, but clearly Satan had been thinking about it all along. You averted your eyes, but Satan’s hand under your chin guided your gaze back up.

“Thank you for telling me, Satan. I really do appreciate it,” you tried to make it obvious how sincere you were, “I haven’t made my decision yet, but I’ll try my best to make the right choice.”

“Even if it’s not me, that’s okay. I just want you to be happy,” Satan answered. You pulled him in for a hug.

You’d seldom shared hugs with Satan, but this still wasn’t the first. The feeling was familiar and comfortable, which was definitely something you missed while you were in the human realm. 

You felt him take a large breath in, his chest inflated against yours. It was a calming feeling. You couldn’t quite bring yourself to let go. You thought you could’ve stayed like that forever. 

You’d never know for sure, though, because a minute later, Asmo burst in.


End file.
